


Moonlit Whispers

by BGNightshade (Lady_Star_Strings)



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Dream demons, Inner Demons, Kitty Darner - Freeform, Original Characters - Freeform, PTSD, Payback, Warner Siblings and Darner Cousins, getting even
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 22:24:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20553656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Star_Strings/pseuds/BGNightshade
Summary: After defeating the demon Quinfio, Kitty and her cousins think they've finally gotten on the right path to happily ever after - or close enough, anyway. Little do they know, forces beyond their comprehension have other ideas and they're ready to take what's theirs.





	1. Chapter 1

It was near day break when a young girl sat on the sill of her window to take in the cool November morning. Her dark hazel eyes seemed to shine in the diminishing moonlight as she watched it sink into the dark landscape. Once it had disappeared into the inky night to her left she turned to her head to see the sun making its ascent into the sky. Brilliant shades of orange and yellow cascaded across the blue canvas of a new day. The sun's great presence showed it's rule over the atmosphere as it swelled over the horizon with extraordinary grandeur. After the sun had assumed its position in the sky the girl allowed a small sigh to float from her lips in complete wonder. With a few seconds more of the newly risen sun's warmth and light she hopped back onto the floor with a quiet tap. It was time for her to see the faces behind her very own piece of sunshine. Tip toeing down the stairs she bounded into the bedroom where three young children slept soundly, dreams of the day to come danced in their minds. Sneaking over to the bunk she climbed into the middle bed where the littlest of the trio was settled comfortably into her blankets. The girl stirred at the movement next to her and turned to face the young woman. Slowly her eyes fluttered open lazily and the beam that matched her bunk mate spread across her face.

"Good morning Cutie Pie." The adolescent greeted the sleepy child.

"Good morning KD. Did I miss the sunrise again?" She asked worriedly. KD nodded sadly and gently moved the girl's floppy ears back when her expression drooped from disappointment.

"There's always tomorrow honey. But for today, we'll just have to wake up your brothers early for fun instead." KD whispered with a feisty smile and a tap on the young one's nose. The girl giggled and nodded in agreement. Silently the two climbed down from the bed and went to the other two beds. The younger one went for the top and KD sprung for the bottom bunk, both equally good prey. KD held a finger to her mouth as the little one giggled from excitement. 

"On three." KD mouthed up the ladder. With a nod of understanding KD began counting up to three.

"One, two, three!" 

The girl jumped up and down on the top bunk waking the resident with a start. He quickly sat up and growled at her but instead of saying sorry she lunged at him with a hug. Unable to resist he shook his head before returning the hug with a smile.

"Morning Wakko!" She said with a grin. He chuckled at her enthusiasm before moving a piece of unruly hair out from in front of his eyes.

"Morning Dot." Wakko replied to his sister. They broke from the hug to peer over the side of the bunk and burst into uncontrollable laughter at the site of the other two. KD had tackled the oldest of the three snoozers out of bed and onto the ground in a pile of blankets. From there she proceeded to rub the top of his head with a noogie while he squirmed to get away. Her chortles at his expense were hard to resist and he gave up the struggle with a sigh. With a slight smile he hugged the arm she had wrapped around his neck in compliance to her wake up call.

"Good morning Yakko! Pleasant dreams I hope." She teased. The little two snickered on Yakko's bed as he rolled his eyes and smirked at the comment.

"Ha ha, very funny. Good morning to you too Kitty." Yakko returned. Suddenly Wakko jumped on top of them, their guard completely down and the opportunity too good to pass up.

"DOG PILE!!!" His shout echoed through the water tower. Kitty and Yakko tried to move but they were too slow and he flattened them out. Giggling Dot leaped onto the jumble of her family, her laughter contagiously spreading through the group. In a matter of seconds all four were breathlessly getting up from the ground to hold their sides and wipe tears away from the corners of their eyes. It was moments like this that Kitty lived for. Once things had settled down a bit she picked Dot up and rested her on her hip.

"Alright guys, it's time to get dressed so we can go meet with Scratchy." Kitty informed them. After a quick snuggle to Dot she put the girl down and went to her bedroom so she could change as well. It had been almost seven months since Kitty Darner had moved in with her cousins to help keep them under control. Well, to the best of her abilities that is.

"What do you guys feel like having for breakfast today?" She yelled down the hall pulling her shirt over her head. 

"Pancakes!" The trio said in unison. Buckling the brown belt that hung loosely on her hips over her skinny jeans, she pulled her sepia brown hair up into a messy ponytail. A final check in the mirror allowed her to fix the golden star pendant that was hanging around her neck before walking down the hall to the kitchen. 

"Blueberry or chocolate chip?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.

"Both!" They yelled back as she pulled the ingredients out. Mixing a bowl of chocolate first she turned to see Wakko already at the table with a fork and knife, a flashy grin on his face. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, he was always ready for her to be done even if the food was just beginning to be mixed. Yakko stretched and yawned when he walked out, also taking his seat at the table early. Dot was last, her little pitter patter audible from behind. She was having trouble putting her flower pendant around her ears, her quiet grunts of struggle overpowering the fierce rock, paper, scissors match her brothers were having next to her. Kitty poured the batter onto the skillet and bent done to help her. Once she was sure the flower was on tight enough so it wouldn't come out and it was straight Kitty pushed her into her seat at the table. A few minutes later they were chowing down on stacks of steaming golden brown fluffiness, "mms" and "yums" filled the tower with pleasure. When they were finished Yakko stood to clean up the plates and Wakko put the butter and syrup back into the fridge while Dot and Kitty gathered up the jackets. Their appointments for Scratchy had lessened over the time Kitty had been staying with them but they were still required under Plotzy's request. He still believed them to be too zany to run around without the appointments, even with Kitty there to watch them. Kitty didn't care whether he trusted her or not, she knew her cousins would behave under her care, he was just too judgmental to see it. So they quickly pulled on their jackets, time getting away from them, and bounded out the vault style door onto the lot below for their appointment.

"Running late, as usual..." Kitty muttered as they ran through crowds of people to get to the office in time. Suddenly she skidded into Yakko who ran into Wakko who ran into a stationary Dot. A never ending ladder scene was taking place in front of them, and as the name implied, it was going to take forever to get through.

"Go to the left, we'll cut through the sound stage!" Kitty ordered taking off in that direction. The line of chaos that was caused was followed by shouts of "Sorry!" and "Pardon us!", their time running short. Kitty made a mental note to apologize personally later, after all she was in charge of their actions. The building finally in sight, they pulled a sharp turn and bolted in the entrance only to be tripped by a loose rug, a loud crash outside his office told Scratchy that they were there. Popping two aspirins into his mouth he ordered them to enter, a headache already forming over the session about to start. The Warners waved goodbye to their cousin and the door was shut behind them. Kitty slumped in the waiting room chair trying to catch her breath, her knee pulsing in pain from the fall that just occurred.

"Just another day in paradise." Kitty whispered to herself. She tipped her head back and sighed with a small smile. Sure it was tiring to do the same thing everyday, but she wouldn't want to be anywhere else than right next to her cousins making memories. Every memory meant something, even the bad ones as they would soon find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Kitty's heart was pounding in her chest as she ran; someone was after her and Yakko. She didn't know who it was or why she was running from them but for some reason she knew that it wouldn't be good if they caught them. In desperation she pushed him around a corner hoping it would lead them to escape. She caught herself from tripping on the her slow speed down and continued to pump her legs not wanting to look back at the pursuer. At last a glimpse of light shone into the dark maze and they rushed towards the beam with hope swelling inside them. Like a cow nudging her newborn calf to walk Kitty told Yakko to keep going and to not stop. They were only a few yards from the opening, the smell of fresh air filling their nostrils, when the loud shot of a gun echoed around them. Kitty cringed before falling onto the floor while an excruciating pain shot through her back. The assailant had shot her, the bullet wedging itself firmly in her back. Hot tears ran down her face when her legs refused to move even though she knew she was moving them. The shot had paralyzed her from the waist down, making her completely helpless as she lay in the growing pool of her blood. Yakko had heard the shot and stopped cold. He yelled her name before running back to help, her pleas for him to go without her falling upon deaf ears. He bent down to support her on his shoulder, tears forming in his own eyes. Suddenly he let out a bloodcurdling scream and crumpled to the floor, a serrated knife protruding from his side. The attacker had caught up with them and literally stabbed Yakko in the back. A satisfied smile curled on its lips as it watched them bleed out in agony. Yakko rolled to face Kitty with a sorrowful look, tears leaving a sparkling trail down his cheek. He tried to say he was sorry but she shook her head. He had come back for her, she couldn't have been more proud of his loyalty. She reached out her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled at him through the pain. He managed to smile back even though he was starting to feel woozy.

"So this is it huh?" He coughed, blood dribbling out of his mouth. She chuckled lightly, her vision blurring in and out.

"I guess so." She rasped. He shook his head and looked around.

"Who would've thought it would end like this? I mean, the writer's are creative, but they're not this good..."

She shook him to keep his consciousness from the grips of blood loss. He shook his head a few times as if dazed and turned his attention back to her. Their limbs felt like lead and their vision had started to tunnel into darkness, reality becoming lost to them. She couldn't feel it but she grabbed his hand in his and squeezed it tightly, giving it a little shake to show they were together until the end which by now was only seconds away. Her eyes filled with tears as they started to slowly close on the world. She would be the first. The first victim. The first to be broken. The first to die. Yakko didn't want to believe it, didn't want to accept it. But in the back of his mind, he knew it was true.

"Kitty? Kitty stay with me, you have to stay with me." Yakko pleaded. He sounded so distant to her, like he was miles away.

"It's just so cold... I have to go..." She whispered lowering her head.

"Kitty please... Don't leave me."

"I won't ever leave you, not entirely... But I have to... Move... On...."

"Kitty?! Kitty please! I need you..."

His words trailed off as she finally gave into the slumber. He was shaking her with the last of his strength, trying to get her to come back to him. Suddenly the shaking stopped, her body lay still next to Yakko's. They were gone, taken from the world in an act of violence too cruel to be forced upon any living thing, silenced within seconds. No one would know who had killed them or why, no one would know how they had suffered in their last few moments on Earth. No, they would just be left with questions that were to never be answered, questions that would always end with why.

"Kitty..." A voice called in the dark.

"Kitty..."

The voice gradually became louder and she began to feel life in her limbs again. Her body no longer ached and she felt as if she were floating. The call for her had become a shout and slowly she willed her eyes to flutter open to a bright light.

"Am I in heaven?" She whispered drowsily. Giggles filled her ears and she lifted her head to see her cousins standing in front of her laughing. She had fallen asleep in the waiting room at Scratchy's office and their deaths were just a nightmare.

"Eeeehhhh... I don't think so, but that's a nice way to think of it." Yakko joked. Upon sighting him she tackled him to the ground and squeezed him as tight as she could without breaking his bones. 

"Oh my god, I thought I lost you..." She cried. Yakko looked at her with confusion and nervously laughed.

"I was only gone for few minutes. Are you okay?"

"Just a bad dream, but it's okay now."

Yakko looked at his sibs who shrugged, they were just as confused as him. Kitty kept hugging him for a few minutes more on the floor of the office completely unaware of the things going on around her. 

"Promise me you'll never grow up and leave." She whispered resting her chin on the top of his head. 

"If it'll get you off of me, I'll agree to anything! What happened in that nightmare of yours, you seem frazzled." He pushed away from the hug and stared at her with concern. She smiled and shook her head, wiping away a tear that had formed in her eyes.

"Nothing, I'm just... Really glad that your back." She finished choosing her words carefully. Her cousins may have been younger but they weren't dumb. Things only made their concern worsen on the way back to the tower that night. Everyone they passed made them fidget with paranoia and she tried to keep them behind her at all costs as if something were going to happen to them. Once they had gotten home she locked herself in the bathroom, the nightmare making her a nervous wreck. She sat holding her head in her hands for a few minutes telling herself it was only a nightmare before starting the bath water. Meanwhile her cousins sat at the kitchen table worrying for her well being and tried to think of what had spooked her so badly.

"Did you see her when we woke her up?! She looked like she had seen a ghost!" Wakko quietly shouted so she couldn't hear them.

"She seemed more emotional than usual... What did she say to you again Yakko?" Dot asked her brother. For the first time in the history of his life on Earth Yakko was silent. The younger ones looked at each other in confusion due to his blank stare and speechless presence.

"She said she never wanted me to leave her. She was so pale..." He trailed off starting to tear up.

"I heard her screaming during the session, but I thought it was just my imagination. Whatever was in that dream really scared her and she won't tell us what..."

It hurt Yakko that she wouldn't tell them, tell him. But what really broke his heart is the fact that she was hurting too. It wasn't that she was it from them because she could. No, it was because she had to. And that hurt her more than anything that he was feeling. He just had to accept that she was doing what was best for them and leave it at that. Dot hopped down from her chair and walked over to hug his torso, Wakko joining in as well. He smiled softly at his sibs and returned the hug with a tight squeeze.

"You know Kitty, if she needs us she'll tell us. Until then we'll have to let her work things out on her own." Dot advised. She snuggled into his fur as Yakko beamed at her proudly. Where had the little girl he used to know gone and who was this wise young woman blossoming before him now? Over the years he wished for someone to tell him how to help raise his siblings and now he realized that he never needed someone to tell him how to do it. He already knew how, and so far he was doing an okay job. Kitty moving in only made things better, her extra care helping Yakko more than she would ever know, which made him worry even more. If she took care of them, why couldn't they take care of her?

"Why would someone do that to us?" Kitty whispered in the bathroom. She had been pondering the question over and over while the water rushed into the tub. Once it had reached a satisfying volume she turned the knob off and watched the steam float off the top of the water in wispy tendrils. With shaky hands she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor nearby. Other articles of clothing piled up on top until she was down to her fur coat for coverage. The cool breeze that blew through the room gave her goosebumps, her fur raising a bit. Trying to warm herself she stepped into the torrid water and shivered. The water felt amazing as it washed over her body and cleansed her of the horrible nightmare's stress. She pulled her legs up to her chest and heavily sighed. She hadn't gotten in to wash herself tonight. No, it was to ease her mind so she could think about what the nightmare had meant. Why would someone do such a thing to them, and why were they the targets? Was it a vision of what was yet to come? So there she sat for the longest time staring into space trying to ponder the questions until the grandfather clock chimed seven, breaking her from her trance immediately. She had been in the tub for forty five minutes, it was time for her to get out and join the world again. She pushed the drain with her foot and wrapped her body with a soft towel. Listening to the water drain away she began to dry her fur so she could put the little two to bed and she could at least attempt to go to bed herself. Then it would be on to repeat the day as they've always done again and again, never changing. This day had been different, that was true. But it wasn't a day she would enjoy having endlessly, not with the way it ended. The nightmare began to cross her mind again and she tried to ignore it when a sharp pain shot through her lower back. She yelped, turning to find the source of the pain. Looking at the point of the most feeling she saw her fur turning into a dark shade of red, blood dribbling from a small circular wound. Her heart stopped. The wound was in the same spot from the nightmare, the exact placement and the same size. It was too much to handle anymore and she shrieked before bolting out of the bathroom, almost running straight into Wakko. He had heard her scream and went to find out what was wrong when she came out of the bathroom in sheer fear of whatever had happened. With quick thinking he managed to brush off her shoulder, watching her dash up the stairs without so much as a glance to see if he was okay. Yakko and Dot heard her too, both skidding to a stop upon seeing Wakko blankly staring at Kitty's path. He looked at them and shook his head.

"She just... ran. There was no stopping, no talking. Just... running." He told them still in shock. 

"But why..?" Dot asked Yakko with teary eyes. Yakko didn't know either, but he was going to find out. Carefully he stepped into the bathroom to find what had caused Kitty to bolt like she did. Nothing was out of the ordinary, until you came to the rug in front of the sink that is. Something dark had soaked into the rug while Kitty was standing there. He bent down to examine it and was met with an eerie finding. The substance was blood, fresh and still warm from leaving her body. Standing back up he turned to his sibs with a look of terror and gently pushed them aside as he went to go find Kitty. 

"Wakko put Dot to bed." He instructed hopping up two steps at a time.

"What happened?" Wakko questioned. But he was already gone up the staircase. Giving a slight smile to Dot he led her to their bedroom where she dressed in her nightgown and settled into her bunk. He was climbing into his own when she grabbed his hand on the ladder rung.

"What's happening to Kitty?" She queried with teary eyes. She wanted an answer, something he couldn't give her, not just yet.

"I don't know, but whatever it is she's going to be okay." He reassured her, not quite believing it himself.

"What if she's not?"

Wakko stared at her with a stark expression. How could he answer this one? The truth was he couldn't, not even Yakko could. They weren't sure she would be okay, and if she wasn't... Well that just wasn't option.


	3. Chapter 3

"Goodnight Dot." Wakko whispered quietly closing the door to their room where his sister lay asleep on the middle bunk. She had drifted off a few moments before, an uncertain feeling still evident through her expressions. Kitty was acting strange and there was definitely something going on, that he couldn't deny. He only wished she would tell them what was wrong, but then again this was Kitty they were talking about. She never revealed what was going on with her life unless it was about him and his sibs. Cracking her tough shell was a job in itself, not to mention the emotions that would need to be unlocked as well. Sometimes it was better this way for the four of them, however this was not the one of those times. What was wrong with her he might never know, the only thing he could think an answer might come from was the bathroom where it was too much for her to take anymore. With the memory of her fleeing in terror replaying in his mind he had found himself standing outside the bathroom door once more. It wasn't a wreck like he expected it to be upon walking in. The only thing that stood out was the rug had been put in the tub basin with a dark splotch of color in the center. He squinted his eyes at the settling stain trying to identify the substance.

"No way! Is that...?" He started refusing to believe it was true. The stain was blood left behind not too long ago, the liquid running down the carpet as it sat upright. He backed away slowly, the thought of what it meant too horrible to comprehend. Had Kitty gone off the deep end and cut herself in an attempt to commit suicide? Had she not been able to go through with it and bolted to avoid questions? No, not Kitty. She wouldn't do something so reckless without letting them know she was feeling that much pain first. Would she...? Wakko leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Sitting on the cool tiles he came to a realization, the realization that he just didn't know anymore.

While Wakko tried to make sense of everything downstairs below, Yakko followed the trail of blood past Kitty's room and into the old study. They rarely went in there, the need for studying unnecessary. If that wasn't enough to draw a red flag her appearance sitting on the window sill did. She was wearing her over-sized fleece pajama pants like usual, but covering her tank top was the tattered black sweatshirt with a star sewn to the front she hid away in the back of her closet. The zipper barely went up all the way and there was a hole in the right pocket, but she wore it anyways saying it reminded her of how something so simple could mean so much. He didn't really understand what she meant by that, however he did know she only wore it when things really got to her. The other give away that she was troubled was her nose and it's randomly quick twitch. It would usually do that when she was deep in thought, frustrated, or, again, troubled. He had seen it countless times and he knew that this was one of the times it meant she was troubled, the sparkling trail of tears winding down her cheek. Her watery eyes looked up into the sky, searching for something in the fading blue sky as a thunderstorm rolled in. The wind started to pick up and just as he began to speak a sudden gust blew through the window, scattering documents everywhere. He rushed forward and slammed the window shut before turning back to talk with her. She was now on the floor frantically trying to pick up certain scraps of paper to hide them from him. Looking closer at them he saw spots of red speckled on their white surfaces and he realized it was more of her blood. He wasted no time darting towards her to the madness, her behavior that of a truly insane person.

"Kitty stop!" He shouted gripping her wrists tightly. She struggled against his restraint on her, kicking and screaming that he couldn't see them. At point without warning she accidentally hit his mouth with her fist in the fight, blood dribbling out soon after. He let go and backed away to fight the pain, leaving her stare in shock at what she had done. She had hurt him, in her attempt to protect him, she had hurt him.

"Yakko I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it..." She apologized backing away in horror. She looked the other way, more tears gathering in her eyes. He stared at her and then looked at the stationary scattered upon the floor. He knew she hadn't meant it, but why was it important that he didn't see them? Bending down he picked up the closest piece and examined it, finding it wasn't paper. It was a gauze pad that had been soaked with blood in the center until it was discarded onto the desk beside him. He turned back to her before kneeling next to her, his eyes searching her tear soaked face. She didn't dare look at him after what she had just done, the reality of it too much for her to take. With tears welling in his own eyes he wrapped his arms around her squeezed her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"Why won't you tell us what's wrong?" He asked choking up as she clutched to him.

"It was just too real.." She whispered back.

"What?"

She pulled away and wiped away the liquid on her cheeks to look strong in this moment of vulnerability. She tried to think of the right way to tell him. But how could she reveal such a twisted thing to the person who was involved with it? Holding back the oncoming sobs, she looked away before deciding to just come out and say it, the truth better than hiding behind a lie.

"You... Died." She stated casually.

"What are you talking about?" He asked not understanding just yet. 

"In the nightmare I had earlier... You died." 

He stared at her hair covered face beginning to to turn ash white again. He had heard her screaming and thought nothing of it, the fact that it was only a dream dismissing any nagging thoughts of concern. Yet here she was recalling the nightmare and fearing every word that left her mouth. He didn't want to push it if she was on the brink of a nervous break down but he had no choice. He held out his hand waiting for her to take it so they could talk, the invitation not even needing to be said. With a slight turn of her head she smiled lightly and took the offer, wanting the secrets between them to end. He helped her up off the floor and over to the window seat, making sure he was careful with her shaky body. Once there she wiped her eyes free of tears, ready to tell him everything.

"At first it wasn't so bad, you and I were looking for something in a building. I didn't know where it was exactly, I just knew we were looking for something. Then this person appeared. They seemed untrustworthy and a danger to us so I told you to run and we did. We kept running, and we almost got out when the stranger-" She stopped. She shied away, not wanting to revisit the painful moment. Carefully he put his hand on her shoulder and nodded for her to go on.

"It’s okay, it was only a nightmare. It can't hurt you." He reassured her.

"That’s what I thought before…" She trailed off turning around and lifting her shirt. On the lower region of her back was a small circle of blood, the fur around it becoming caked in its crimson clotting. It had stopped bleeding but the damage had been done, bloody gauze and droplets of the liquid littering the floor. A gasp left his mouth upon sighting the gunshot wound, the dots connecting. She let her shirt fall back into place and turned back to face him with tears in her eyes again.

"Yakko this is the exact spot I was shot in my nightmare! How can you say that it can't hurt me anymore?!" She shrieked at him.

"You died Yakko! I watched you suffer and bleed before my eyes, and I couldn't do anything to stop it and now that I've got a wound from my nightmare you have the nerve to say that it can't hurt me?!"

She was losing control of her anger again and Yakko didn't know what to do other than to let it happen. So he sat taking on the full force of the storm as she let out all of her inner frustration and fear in spurts of shouts. When she had finished yelling she slumped off the window seat and onto the ground where hard sobs sent tremors through her body. Who was this girl before him breaking down in sheer terror from a nightmare? It had been his cousin when the day started but by nightfall she had turned into a stranger filled with inner thoughts of death to come. He stared at her crumpled on the floor boards trying to breathe from the lack of breath due to her shuddering sobs, her body lying there shaking without any sign of sanity still intact. Without knowing what he was doing he moved down to the floor next to her and gathered her in a tight embrace against his chest. She instantly clung to him, her hot tears soaking into his black fur. He gently put his chin on the top of her head as tears of his own began to form, the storm outside blocking the rest of the world from them. Eventually her sobs softened into quiet whimpers and she looked up to Yakko with angst etched in her dark hazel eyes.

"Real or not, I'm not going to let that happen to you." He reassured.

"But what if-" She started.

"I don't care what happens to me as long as you're safe and you're here to take care of Wakko and Dot. If something were to ever happen to me I would rather die knowing you were here for them than them having no one. Kitty, please promise me you'll do whatever it takes to be there for them if something happens to me." 

"I promise... But Yakko?"

"Yeah?" 

Looking away she bit her lip and choked back an oncoming sob. Feeling him stare at her she looked back to him with hopeful eyes. Suddenly she squeezed him tightly and refused to let go as she spoke in a hush.

"Promise me that no matter what you'll always be here." She whispered.

"By the moon, the stars, and their light, I promise we're never to part. For even in the darkest of days and nights, I'll always be with you as long as I'm in your heart." He whispered back, quoting a promise the promise his mother had made to him years ago. Both of their parents had been long deceased, but the promises they had made still shown true even on that night. Those promises, and the one he now just made to her, would always stand strong against any doubts either of them had. The two were still hugging when Wakko poked his head into the study to find out more about the blood splattered all over the tower. Upon sighting him the two parted and dried their tears for his sake. 

"Are you okay Kitty?" Wakko asked sheepishly walking in.

"Yeah, I was just a little scared. But Yakko and I talked about it, I'll be okay now." She reassured him with a small smile and a nod.

"I was worried about you. I thought something bad had happened..." 

She bent down and hugged him tightly before giving him a peck on the forehead. Pulling away she smiled down at him softly as he gave a small unsure smile back

"It's time for you to stop worrying and go to bed sweetie. It's been a long day and I think we could all use the rest, right Yakko?" She addressed the older boy.

"She's right bro, we better get to bed. Goodnight Kitty." He yawned gently pushing his at ease younger brother out into the hallway. 

"Goodnight boys."

With a wave the two disappeared down stairs leaving Kitty alone in the old study. Sighing she began to pick up the gauze pads not wanting to leave the bloody mess for Dot to find the next day. She was almost finished when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Cocking her head she saw something shaped in the blood spread out across the wood panels. Slowly moving forward she made out the identifiable shape of letters, all formed into one perfect sentence for all to see. She dropped to her knees and her heart stopped, the sentence running over and over in her head. The sentence saying…

Sweet dreams Kitty.


	4. Chapter 4

Sweet Dreams Kitty.

She didn't scream. She didn't faint. And she most certainly did not call for Yakko to come back. Instead she grabbed the nearest gauze pad and wiped it over the bloody message before throwing it into the waste basket.Then with shaky hands she pushed herself up from the floor and flipped the lights out as she left the study. With a blank stare she shuffled into her room and shut the door silently behind her. In the darkness she crawled into her bed and under the covers, her ears listened to the sound of rain pelting the roof in heavy sheets. The storm outside was getting worse, as was the storm brewing inside her family. All of the things happening to her, all of the ominous demented things that were happening to her, were tearing her apart not just physically but mentally as well. Was there someone out there waiting for the right moment to kill them in cold blood? Was all of this a sign of something yet to come, or was she truly going off the deep end? Kitty didn't know, nor did she care anymore. The answers to these questions would probably never be answered, that's how life worked in the Warner household. The answers they wanted were never the answers they got and when they did get the answers they wanted they weren't what they wanted at all. Life would always be unfair to them, it was just something they had to accept. But why her, why them? Why did any of this have to happen to them? Tears rolled down her cheeks as the sight of Yakko's death continued to run through her mind.

"Please don't take us away from Wakko and Dot... They need us..." She pleaded in the darkness. But she knew life wasn't fair for them, so why would this be any different?

The next morning Dot awoke to the sun's warm rays bathing her skin in its amber glow. Slowly she sat up and looked around them room with a puzzled look, something missing from the picture. Climbing onto the ladder she shook Wakko from his slumber and climbed down to nudge Yakko awake too. They peered around the room in confusion before looking back to Dot with concern. Where was Kitty's usual cheery wake up call and reassuring promise of seeing the sunrise? Where was her playful laugh and teasing ways towards the boys? Where was Kitty?

"Maybe she's just sleeping in a bit, last night was rough for her." Yakko reassured with a shrug. The little ones nodded their heads in agreeance, but they still didn't feel comfortable with the situation. Smiling he pushed them towards the kitchen for breakfast and once they were gone down the hall he looked up and sighed. She wasn't sleeping in, she would be too scared to even shut her eyes after all the screaming he'd heard last night. He had tried to ignore it, tried to block it out. But her screams of terror seemed to echo around him and burrow into his ears in an unrelenting torrent of heartbreak. She was suffering and the only thing he could do was stand by and pretend everything was okay because she didn't want to hurt him. With hot tears forming in his eyes he slowly started to ascend the stairs to find her. Creeping down the hallway he reached her room and stood there silently, unsure of whether he should knock or just go in. What would he find on the other side? 

Kitty slowly turned her head to look at the door with a blank expression, her eyes sore and bloodshot from a restless night. She knew he was there, she could hear his footfalls as he came down the hall. He was waiting on the other side, questioning if he should be there or not. He had a good reason to be, but she wished he didn't. Throughout the night the same nightmare from earlier had happened every time she willed her eyes to shut, her screams never allowing the end to come like it had before. She knew he would hear them, his ears waiting for them to ring out against the night's silence. Knowing if she didn't open the door he would leave she carefully pulled her blankets aside and pushed her body off of her mattress to open it. With a shaky hand she turned the knob, it's mechanisms squeaking with age. Pulling it open she looked at him and gave a small smile to hide her pain from the nightmare's torture.

"You're such a bad liar." He insulted with a glare of conviction before his face fell into one of hurt of sadness, tears welling in his eyes.

"Why does it have to be us?"

He rushed forward and clung to her for some sort of answer, his tears soaking into her fur. She wrapped her arms around him and willed herself not to cry for the sake of showing strength for him. Gently stroking his head as they held on to each other she whispered into his ear softly, her eyes on the brink of tears.

"Because it's not fair." Her voice quivered as she leaned against the doorframe. With a shaky sigh she rested her chin on top of his head and closed her eyes, a tear finally allowed to slide down her cheek. Life wasn't fair, deep down inside she some how knew that it never would be. But why did it have to be them? Wiping away the tears she rubbed his back and took in a deep breath before pulling away to look at him. He was strong when he had to be, but she wished he didn't have to be as much as he was.

"C'mon, the little two are probably waiting for us." She nudged wishing to put the matter behind them. 

"They're worried about you still." He told her quietly heading for the stairs.

"It's hard to believe they wouldn't be, what happened last night was difficult for them to grasp. But when they see me up and moving with a smile they'll shrug it off and forget."

"I'm worried about you still."

He stopped and looked her in the eyes, seriousness radiating from within his own. She may be able to convince the other two but in the back of his mind there would always be that nagging voice of concern. Even if she was older, he was still the man of the house. It was his job to make sure his family was safe no matter what, and that included her.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it, really I do. But that doesn't mean I have to quit caring about it and watch you suffer alone." He told her with a stone cold tone before turning to bound down the steps. Squeezing her eyes shut she looked away in pain, his words cutting into her like a knife.

"If I die too I won't have to worry about it..." She whispered quietly. She had told him only the first dreadful part of the nightmare, the part where he died. The other part, the part where she too met a tragic death, was kept secret. With the others already concerned about her the knowledge of her part in the nightmare would only make things worse. She loved her cousins, but she didn't want them to have to deal with her problems on top of their own, even if it was just a nightmare. Sighing she quickly dressed to meet them downstairs, her breakfast calling her. But before she turned to leave a look in the mirror made her stop in her tracks. Her eyes were sore and bags had formed underneath from no enough sleep, her hair poking out from it's ponytail everywhere. Seeing her disheveled appearence she could understand why they were worried. 

"Jesus, I look like I got hit by a bus! I can't believe a little nightmare could do this..." She muttered in disgust. Shaking her head she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and began to put it back up carefully to make it appear neater. Her eyes could be explained with sleep deprivation, but the gun shot wound that shown as a healing scar against her fur would require more fixing hide from them. After searching her room for an answer she decided her green Washington D.C. hoodie would suffice and she quickly pulled it over her head. Once she was satistfied with her cover up job she ran down the stairs to find them cleaning up so the could leave for their appointment. 

"Good morning Wakko, Dot." She cheerfully greeted snatching up a piece of toast as she walked past the table. Upon sighting her they smiled at her and forgot their worries, her usual carefree state about her again. But as she winked at them she noticed something odd about Dot. 

"Dot, where's your pendant?" She asked her pointing to her loose hanging ears. Confused Dot reached up to feel her ears for the flower that held them and was met with a shock. It wasn't there like she had expected. Discovering it to be missing she let out an ear shattering scream that shook the tower before going into a panic as she tried to retrace her steps.

"Are you sure it's not here?" Kitty asked searching the nightstand where she left it for bed.

"I didn't see it this morning so I thought I had it in still after Scratchy's session! Of course you'd never know with all the worrying I did because of..." Dot trailed off becoming unsure if she should continue. With the memories if last night coming back to them Kitty tried to revert back to the pendant. 

"Well if you would've dropped it yesterday we would've seen it on the way home. I don't think we went anywhere other than Scratchy's office and back home last night." Kitty told her thinking of where it might be. 

"What about the sound stage?! We didn't go through there on the way home!" Wakko recalled.

"That's right! Kitty it has to be there, we can check before we go to the appointment!" Dot exclaimed. Looking at the grandfather clock she groaned and started gathering their coats. 

"You guys go to Scratchy's and I'll go look for it, I'll meet you there when I'm done." Kitty promised.

"I'll come with you, my part of the session isn't until the end." Yakko volunteered pulling on his jacket.

"... Alright, but if I get yelled at because you missed your part it'll be your head!"

"Dually noted."

With a quick sheepish smile of understanding from him she opened the door and was met with a chilling gust of wind. She wrapped her coat around herself tighter before motioning for them to follow as she leaped from the railing onto the ground where she took off running for the sound stage. While they ran across the lot Kitty managed to catch a few glances of the damge the storm from the night before had left behind. Palm tree leaves littered the ground along with various movie props, scene work, and equipment that would cost a fortune to replace before it was over. It made her wonder just how bad the sound stage looked considering they had left the loading dock door in pretty bad shape when they made their exit. She sighed, another thing she would have to apologize for this morning. Dismissing the thought of scoldings to come later she gave a quick whistle as they reached the lone building. With the whistle's signal she and Yakko broke off from the little two as they continued on to their appointment with Dr. Scratchansniff, the wind picking up as they disappeared through the crowds of productions in the making. When the last glimpse of Dot's pink jacket disappeared in the throng of people Kitty froze and the rushing around her seemed to stop in it's place. Her heart beat held a steady thump while she continued to stare at the last place she'd seen Dot. She couldn't explain why, but something within her was shouting to get out.

"Something's not right..." She whispered. Suddenly she was thrust back into reality as Yakko called for her to join him in the building. She shook her head from it's daze and ducked inside the building, leaving the harsh wind and concerning thought outside.


	5. Chapter 5

Once inside the building Kitty realized that their job wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought, the building matching at least four towers in square footage. Sighing with distaste, she started combing the floor for the small flower pendant the best she could in the dark. As they searched through the endless mess of what once was the sound stage, Kitty continued to pull her jacket around her body, a cold unwelcome feeling everywhere about them. A glance around the empty building and it's storm torn appearence sent another chill down her spine, there was something odd about the building other than the fact that it was destroyed from the storm. It looked like it had been completely deserted. She hadn't noticed it when the were running through yesterday but dust covered every surface and cobwebs filled any open spot that one could be made in.

"What is this place?" Yakko asked taking in the abandoned storage facility as well. 

"I don't know and I don't want to. Let's just find Dot's pendant and get put of here, this place gives me the creeps." She firmly replied. With a small nod, Yakko began to wander through the maze of old props and backgrounds that had been left behind after whatever project that was being filmed there was abandoned, all of them looking like ancient artifacts waiting to see the light of day again. It shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did, he and his siblings seeing plenty of abandoned sets around the lot in their lifetime. But there was something about the building they were in that didn't feel right, something ominously preying at the back of his mind. Suddenly as he was looking under an old desk a shadow passed across him, a large shadow too big to be his cousin. His heart stopped, something else was there with them.

"Kitty?" He called nervously getting up from the ground to look around. 

"What is it, did you find it yet?" She replied moving in his direction, eventually finding him peering around the junk piles surrounding them with uneasy eyes.

"Something's in here."

"What do you mean something's in here?"

He was about to answer when the shadow passed over them again, only this time it seemed bigger than before. It was getting closer. Kitty's ears fell back as she began copying Yakko's search for the entity. The shadow quickly evolved into footsteps as it's owner came closer and closer to them in the dark dusty maze, it's footfalls in steady rhythm with their hearts. Slowly the footsteps faded away into silence, the mysterious being stopping somewhere nearby. A growl fixed itself within Kitty's throat, her fur raised on end. With a piercing gaze she tried to keep Yakko behind her as she searched through the clutter, the shadow creature watching them from the cover of darkness. 

"Kitty..." Yakko whispered in the voice of a small child. Slowly she turned to follow his frightened stare, his eyes frozen in one place among the dark surroundings. Her heart stopped. There, peering through the dark black shadows, was a pair of glowing red eyes. Underneath them sat a smile of razor sharp teeth, their pearly white appearence glistening in the faint light from outside. It was back. 

"GO!" Kitty yelled snapping out of her trance. Pushing Yakko ahead of her, they bolted back into the maze looking for a way out and away from the creature. As they weaved in between the piles of junk she didn't dare to look back, her main goal getting Yakko out of there before it could get it's hands on him. Ahead of her she could hear him panting with exhaustion, his body not meant to run as he was.

"Don't stop Yakko! Come on, I'm right behind you!" Kitty shouted as she desperately pushed him around the corner. Following close behind him she nearly tripped over her own feet as she sped down to curve the turn, her feet skidding out to the side and her hand barely brushing the cement floor to catch herself. Her lungs were burning and her legs felt like lead with each step, but she kept pushing herself to keep Yakko moving. Finally, as if a beam of hope were showing down from heaven, the light from the open door gleamed in front of them as if beckoning them towards it. 

"Keep going, don't stop!" Kitty yelled giving him a shove towards the door as she fell behind slightly. She could feel the sun's warm rays bathing her skin and the harsh wind thrashing against her face, they were almost out of it's reaches. Suddenly Kitty stopped dead in her tracks, something about what was happening all too familiar. She knew what was coming next, she could feel it in her lower back as it stung with a sharp pain. Then it happened, just as her nightmare had predicted, a lone gun shot rang out in the silent sound stage. With disbelief Kitty tried to dodge the piercing bullet from hitting her but to no avail, her right leg taking the blow as it crumpled beneath her. She refused to cry out in pain, Yakko's life hanging in the balance. But the gun shot had set an alarm off in his brain and he had turned in time to see her fall to the floor. Immediately he began to run back to her, just like the nightmare.

"Yakko get out of here now!" She shouted as hot tears ran down her cheeks. 

"I'm not leaving you!" He countered skidding to a stop in front of her. 

"Yakko I said now damn it!"

"No!"

She was about to try another attempt to make him leave when a bloodcurdling scream erupted from his mouth, a look of sheer agony splayed across his face. Kitty cried out in horror as the shadow standing behind him shoved the serrated knife further and further into his side before yanking it out in one swift motion, his blood spraying across her face. Yakko fell to his knees and held his side as blood poured out the wound, tears mixing with the crimson liquid that had splashed onto his face. In agony she tried to reach him, her right leg dragging behind her as she pulled herself along the ground. But it was already behind her ready to prevent her from reaching him.

"Not this time Kitten." It whispered into her ear as it yanked her head up by her ponytail. 

"Leave him out of this, I'm the one who made the deal!" She yelled in desperation, her tear filled eyes remaining on Yakko as he bled out in front of her. 

"But you're the one who cheated me of my prize. Now you must pay for it."

With it's immense strength it threw her back to the floor and began kicking her helpless body, it's boots ramming into her sides one after another. Crying and screaming mixed until one could not be told from the other, her pleas fading away into shrieks of pain. After what seemed like hours of nonstop misery it ended it's beating and turned it's attention back to Yakko, his blood pooling on the ground as he tried to stand. Sobbing, she tried again to move to his aid, her strength all but gone. It just laughed at them as Yakko tried to reach her as well, her pain seeming worse than his. 

"This should be more than enough to pay me back." It said shoving the knife straight into Yakko's back. The building shook as Kitty's shrill screams of misery filled the air around them, tears soaking her face as it pulled out the knife and shoved him onto the ground. With a smile of satisfaction it looked back at Kitty and laughed with triumph, her despair it's goal. 

"Until next time Kitten..." It said passing her as it returned to it's home in the shadows, Dot's pendant tumbling to the ground as he released it. Her chest convulsed with sobs as she dragged herself over to Yakko's bloody body, the liquid flowing across the floor and soaking into her clothes. Carefully she pulled him to her, pain shooting throughout her being. Her eyes blinded by tears, she slowly dragged both bodies to a nearby wall where she sat back in anguish, her strength completely depleted from the strain she had put upon herself. Pulling him close to her weak body as he bled out, she stroked his head in sheer misery as he tried to speak to her.

"S'n-not your fault." He rasped, blood splattering from his mouth as he did.

"Yes it is!" She said in between the sobs that racked her body.

"N-no, s'n-not. Please s-stop c-crying..."

He reached for her hand along his blood soaked chest and grabbed it tightly, a small continuous shake showing he was fading fast. He looked up to her, his eyes shining with tears as he tried to muster a smile. He knew that he wasn't going to have much longer with her. 

"T-take care of W-Wakko and D-Dot." He told her quietly. 

"No, that's what you're supposed to do..." Kitty moaned crying harder.

"K-Kitty, p-please don't l-leave them t-too."

"But I don't want you to leave either..."

"Sh-shh, s'n-not forever. J-just for n-now."

"Yakko..."

"J-just know... I l-love you a-all... No m-matter where I g-go..."

"We love you too..."

She wrapped him in a hug as tears began to trickle down her cheeks, it was her last attempt to hide her tears as he wished for her to do. She wouldn't let him see it, but she too knew that their time together was ending. Embraced within her arms he faintly whispered to her, his words nearly breaking down every last piece of will she had built up not to cry. 

"I-I'll always be h-here, p-promise..." He told her gently, his words drifting away as the last breath of life left his body. Her world froze, time seemed to stop in it's place. She pulled away from him to look for a sign of life, her mind unable to wrap itself around the fact that he was gone. Her eyes lingered on his face, he looked as if he were sleeping. But she knew that she was only lying to herself.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered before hugging him tightly to her, sobs shaking her body. Holding his body as close as possible, she screamed and cursed at the darkness surrounding her, knowing that somewhere nearby it was watching her despair and enjoying every moment of it. It wanted to make her suffer, and it had found the perfect way to do it. 

"God why?! Why would you do this to me?!" She shrieked as she let her head hit the wall behind her, her lungs gasping for air from the endless sobs. Over and over again her being shuddered as she clung to his body, not wanting to let him go. Slowly her sobs faded away as she sat hugging him and whispering apologies into his ear continuously, her hand stroking his head as if she were trying to soothe him from pain. Inside her frail body her heart was slowing rapidly, her leg oozing blood under his own warm liquid. Her eyes began to droop as the blood loss took it's toll, her breathing withering away into nothing. She looked at him as he lay still in her arms, tears streaming down her face. He still had his hand gripping her's in an attempt to make her stop crying. Carefully she bent her head down to snuggle his face one more time, her cheek brushing against his feeling as if it were death grasping for her instead.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered quietly before her body fell limp with the slumber of death, darkness finally claiming them as it's own.


	6. Chapter 6

When the two older children never showed up to get them after Dr. Scratchansniff's appointment with them ended Wakko and Dot had gotten worried. Kitty had promised them that she would be there for them, and Kitty never broke her promises. So they had gone looking for them in the last place they knew them to be, the sound stage looking for Dot's flower pendant. 

"Kittyyyyy! Yakkooooo!" Wakko yelled entering the sound stage with Dot in tow.

"They have to be here, they didn't answer the phone when I called." Dot said holding onto his sleeve. 

"I know, but I can't imagine that it would take that long to find your flower."

"You don't think something happened to them, do you?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're okay."

He ruffled her ears and smiled reassuringly as he started searching in the junk maze. As he disappeared into the piles of trash, Dot shivered as a chill ran down her spine. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

"Kitty, Yakko! Are you guys in here?!" She shouted becoming more and more nervous. Slowly she began to check behind the stray backgrounds and large set props that were filling the main part of the building, hoping that they were pulling some sort of trick. But as the daylight slowly began to fade she knew that something was definitely wrong. 

"Did you find them?" She called peeking around a wild west backdrop.

"Not yet, but keep looking!" He answered now in the upstairs apartment that ruled the building's second level. It looked like a warzone with old desks and papers thrown about the floor, dust covering every surface in a thick grimy layer that hadn't been touched in years prior to their intrusion. Everything except for the yellow flower pendent that lay on the sound panel in the back of the room that is. Carefully stepping around the chairs that had fallen away from the desks in whatever mad dash that had occurred before then he scooped up the pendent with confusion. They had never been in the apartment when they passed through the day before, so how had her flower ended up there? In the midst of trying to unscramble the growing puzzle of events that were occurring from somewhere on the ground floor Dot screamed for him to come to her aback the screams of terror. As fast as he could run through the junk he made his way to where the little girl was cowering back from a spot on the floor, a dark red puddle spreading across the concrete. Shakily she clung to Wakko as he pulled her away from the mess unsure if what they were thinking had actually happened. Suddenly behind them the towering line of backdrops began to topple over into each other like dominoes, each landing closer and closer to the siblings with terrifying speed.

"RUN!!!" Wakko ordered pushing her ahead of him before he too started running. Although they were younger than the older two they could still run fairly fast and started to gain to some ground on the tumbling walls of scenery. They had no sooner exited the danger zone and begun to slow down when something caught on Wakko's foot, making him trip into Dot which sent both of them rolling across the floor in an eventually declining skid of momentum. With scraped and bruised arms they began to pick themselves up in order to keep looking for the others when both noticed that they had landed in a thin puddle of the same crimson liquid from before. Holding back screams of terror Dot looked up from where she had been laying to be met with the horror that was her brother and cousin, both soaked with blood. Within minutes they had called 911 and people of all sort were flooding the building, the two children having to be pulled away from their family as the medics came in to check for any sign of life.

"One DOA, checking the second victim now." The medic said dropping Yakko's arm.

"NOOO!!!" Dot cried falling to her knees as Wakko gathered into his arms, his strength needing to be shown for his little sister. There would be time for grieving later, right now he had to show his sister that he was still there as sobs overtook their bodies.

"Two DOAs, no pul- Wait..."The medic spoke into his headpiece. Beyond the tape the police had set up to keep the crowd back from the crime scene the two siblings waited for his verdict with hope, their hearts already too heavy to bear. They watched with nervous thoughts as his eyes grew wide and he held his ear close to her face for a sign of breathing.

"GET THE STRETCHER, WE NEED TO GO NOW!!!" He shouted to the others on his team, the standby unit carefully moving Yakko's body to the side as they prepared to take Kitty away. With quick but careful hands they gently lifted Kitty onto the strecher before rolling her off to the ambulance, a trail of blood falling to the floor as they went. Behind them the standby unit lifted Yakko onto a stretcher as well, but the two children both knew they weren't going to the same place. Dot cried harder into Wakko's shirt as they passed, their brother's limp and lifeless hand hanging over the side from under the white sheet the had placed over top his corpse.

"Come on, we have to go with Kitty." Wakko told her choking on his words.

"But I want to go with Yakko!" Dot bawled. 

"Dot, he's... H-he's gone..."

Dot clung to her brother as he held her with all his strength to help with the pain, but deep down he knew it wouldn't be enough to make her stop, not now. As the ambulance pulled away from the building he began to drag her with him over to where Dr. Scratchansniff was wiping his brow with a handkerchief and talking somberly to a disturbed Mr. Plotz, the situation at hand one of the worst he'd seen in years. Seeing the two approach they tried to muster a better stature, both not knowing what to say to them.

"I... I'm sorry about your brother..." Plotz gave his condolences, his eyes not wanting to make contact with their's.

"If zere is anysing ve can do for you..." Scratchansniff told them scratching his head, his eyes not making contact either.

"Th-thank you..." Dot managed, her body weak with grieving.

"Dr. Scratchansniff, can you take us to the hospital for Kitty?" Wakko asked quietly as he supported his sister.

"I don't know if you two should be there just in case- OOF!"

Sratchansniff stopped midsentence as Plotz elbowed him in the side, an angered look plastered on his face. The two children knew what he was going to say, they knew that there was still a possibility that Yakko wasn't going to be the only one who wouldn't be going home with them that night.

"Of course he'll take you, it's no trouble at all." Plotz said nudging him in the side.

"I'll go get my car." Scratchansniff told them taking off for the parking lot.

"I uh... I hope Kitty's alright. Really though, if you two need anything you know where to find us." 

"Thank you Mr. Plotz." Wakko replied with a sad nod of acknowledgement. From outside the front of the building they could hear a car horn and they turned to leave the gruesome scene in hopes that things would get better through the remainder of the night. As he watched them go Plotz couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach, the events before him too unnerving to handle. Not only had the children lost their brother to a horrific murder but possibly their cousin as well, their world turned upside down in an instance. It was then the executive wondered, would things ever be the same for the children if they lost both family members?

"God what have I done...?" He whispered glancing back at the bloodstained scene, regret plastered on his face.

~★~✪~★~

Is that... Heat...? No... I lost feeling hours ago, I should be colder than ice by now…

"Kitty we need you to stay with us, you have to fight for just a few minutes longer! Come on Kitty, the hospital's only a few blocks away!"

That voice is so far away... I can't be alive yet... Can I...?

"CLEAR!"

I think I felt my body move... Does this mean I still have a chance...?

"Her heart rate's still falling, go for two! Come on Kitty, fight!"

Why are they still trying...? I'm too far gone now…

"It's stabilizing too low, we have to keep it up if she's going to stay in that state, go for three! Hang in there Kitty, just one more time!"

Wait... Is that my heart...? I haven't heard it for a while now... It sounds so strange…

"She's stable, let's move!"

We must be at the hospital now... I wonder how long it'll take until they realize it won't help…

"Sir her family's here to see her, do we tell them her condition?"

"How many of them are there?"

"Only two, but sir..."

"What is it Ford?"

"...They're children, a little girl and her brother. They say she's their cousin and they want to know if she's going to live or if she's going to... End up like their older brother."

"...You may as well tell them, there's not much I can do if she isn't willing to hang on anymore."

Wakko and Dot... "Take care of Wakko and Dot."... Yakko…

"Sir her rate's starting to climb again!"

"Then let's get her to a room stat!"

I can't leave them... I promised…

"Give me the forceps, I need to get this bullet out now! Ford prep the suture!"

"Right away sir!"

"Keep giving us a fight Kitty, we're almost done..."

My leg stings... I must be getting closer to complete stability…

"Closing the wound now, prep a room immediately. You're doing good kid, keep it up."

I can hear him like he's right next to me... My leg is pulsating with pain too... They must have moved me to an actual room now, the sheets feel different... Am I still alive...?

"It's all up to you now Kitty, you have to continue fighting like you just did in order to make through. I just hope you can hear me..."

I can hear you... But why can't I answer...? Did something happen to my voice...? If anything can't I at least open my eyes...? Is that not a possibility now too...?

"Doctor is she...?"

"She's okay, she's just really fatigued from blood loss now."

"So she's going to live...?"

"Well... I can't say for sure yet, her levels are still low and her heart rate keeps wavering every now and then. If she does live, she won't be able to move for quite some time."

"What do you mean?"

"When the bullet entered her leg it hit some of the major nerves running to her spine and other leg, causing temporary paralyses from the waist down. Her heart on the other hand may need something to help it function properly, the blood loss really took a toll on it."

Temporary paralyses...? How long does the word temporary mean...? My heart can't be injured, I feel fi-

"Code three, all emergency staff to ICU immediately!"

"How did her heart suddenly stop?!"

"CLEAR!”

Do I have even have the choice to live now...? Why won't my heart stay stable...?

"She's back... Ford get the cardiologist on the phone and tell him we might be in for a stint soon, I don't want to play games all night."

"Right away sir. I'll go tell her family she's stable again."

"When you do send them in. Right now I think family is the best thing..."

They can't see me like this, not at their age... Please God just don't let them see this...

  
~★~✪~★~

"No..." Kitty rasped from the bed.

"Kitty? Kitty can you repeat that, you're coming out a little faint." A man asked leaning down to her mouth to listen.

"Wak... Dot... No..." 

"You don't want your cousins right now? Is that what you're saying kid?"

"Yes..."

"Okay, we can do that."

She could hear him whisper something to another person before she felt him sit beside her on the bed, a pen clicking not too long afterwards. Around her she could faintly hear the beeping of the machines that were now monitoring her vitals, the slight prick of a needle in her arm vaguely registering. Somewhere along the line of placing her in the room they had changed her into a hospital gown for the feeling of the fabric rubbed against her skin softly with comfort, the sheets making her feel safer than her last drift in consciousness. Mustering as much strength as she could manage at the time she slowly just barely opened her eyes, her eyelashes darkening the images she saw.

"You're opening your eyes, that's better than I thought you'd be doing this soon. Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, are you alright to answer some questions or would you rather sleep for a while?" He asked slowly. 

"S'okay..." Kitty replied joyful that she could at least see and speak still.

"Alright, if you at any time feel that you want to be done let me know okay?"

"Can I ask... You something first...?"

"Yes, of course."

"Are my cousins... Okay...?"

"Yes they're fine, just a little shaken up over your condition. Unfortunately they're still trying to handle the loss of their brother though..."

"Yakko..."

Kitty squeezed her eyes shut as tears started to once again trickle down her cheeks, the memories still too clear. With an apologetic look the man let her handle her emotions by herself not wanting to make things worse, the knowledge of her case already known. 

"I'm... Sorry for your loss." He said getting up to leave.

"Don't go... I don't want... To be alone..." Kitty continued trying to stop her tears.

"Oh kid... You won't be alone, your cousins are outside the door waiting for you and my daughter will be attending to you while you're here. Trust me, you're anything but alone."

"But-"

"Ah ah ah, no buts. Now get some sleep kid, you're going to need it for the next few weeks if you're going to get better."

As she watched him leave with heavy eyelids she couldn't help but start crying again, the thought of being in a room by herself frightening her to death. The thing that had attacked her, the thing that had killed Yakko, could be anywhere waiting to finish the job. She could still feel its eyes locked on her from the darkness as it watched her lay on the floor helplessly watching her cousin bleed out in front of her. It made her sick to her stomach thinking that it could be in the room watching her right now, her pain and suffering its one wish.

"K-Kitty...?" Dot's small voice asked from the doorway, her grief lilting on its quiet sound.

"Dot...?" Kitty questioned trying to make out her shape against the lights from the hall, her refusal to let them seen thrown to the wind.

"A-are you okay?"

"I don't know..."

"...C-can I come in?"

"Yes..."

Silently the little girl padded over to her cousins bed and reached for her hand on the bed sheets before resting her head beside her, her eyes looking to the weak feline while she tried to remain awake. Slowly tears began to gather in her eyes as Kitty's other hand limply moved to stroke her head for comfort.

"S'okay sweetie..." Kitty whispered.

"Why...?" Dot said, the same thing her brother had asked that morning bringing Kitty to tears.

"Because... S'not fair..."

"...He should be here right now telling us that everything will be okay, he should be hugging me because I'm crying, he..."

Dot clenched Kitty's hand tighter as the tears slid down her face in anger, her heart still refusing to believe that he was gone from her. With tears of her own gathering Kitty held Dot closer to her as best as she could, her muscles still weak from blood loss. It was then that Dot began carefully crawling onto the bed beside her, the need to be held stronger than ever. Once there Kitty gently wrapped her into a hug and rested her chin on Dot's head, her will not to cry all but destroyed anymore. 

"I want him back..." Dot bawled into her shoulder.

"Me too sweetie, me too..." Kitty whispered silently cursing herself. There they sat for the rest of the night trying to comfort each other through their grief, the event not to lose its grasp on them for a long time to come. From the doorway Wakko watched them with sorrowful eyes, his presence something he didn't wish to include at this point. Kitty looked like she'd been through war with her snarled up fur caked with blood, her face bruised and beaten to the point that the white on her face was now either black, blue, or diseased looking yellow. Before they'd moved her to the room he'd also caught a glimpse of the stitches on her leg, their span going from the top of her thigh to the middle of her upper leg. It made him wonder just how much she'd suffered before they found her, and if Yakko had suffered at all before his death. By now Kitty had taken notice of the lone Warner watching by the door and she tried to get his attention to join them.

"Wakko..." Kitty called showing him her free arm.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine here for now." He tried to convince her.

"...Please...?"

Despite his minor protests Wakko didn't last much longer before he slowly shuffled over to the bed before crawling up next to her and burying his face in her side with caution, not wishing to make her anymore upset than she already was. He'd cry later when the others slept, but for now he had to be strong. If he wasn't, how would they ever begin to continue on?


End file.
